UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Request for Proposals Enterprise Resource Planning System

I. About the University Of Missouri

Founded in 1839, the University of Missouri has been recognized as one of the leading educational and

research institutions nationwide. With its excellence in teaching and research activities, University of

Missouri is proud to be the only member from the state of Missouri in the Association of American

Universities (AUU), an honor granted to only 35 public U.S. universities.

In its capacity as a land-grant institution, the University of Missouri reaches more than one million

citizens each year through Extension programs that promote health and success for youth, families,

communities and businesses. In 2010, clients of the Business Development Program generated $1.19

billion in economic impact for the Missouri economy, creating or retaining 16,143 jobs and starting 265

businesses.

The University of Missouri houses 14 different schools and colleges, offering more than 280 programs of

studies. It welcomed 33,805 in-state, out-of-state and international students for the fall of 2011. Beside

its academic units, the University also administers a HealthCare system, which includes an on-site

hospital, a Women’s and Children’s Hospital and other research centers and facilities. As of the

academic year 2009-2010, the University of Missouri has total of 13,266 staff members, 2,039 faculty

members, and 3,696 employees for the UM Health Care system.

II. The Proposal: System Overview

The University of Missouri-Columbia requests for proposals to provide the following deliverable/s:

2.1. A comprehensive review of all existing information systems within the University of Missouri

that describes the functions, users and beneficiaries of these systems. While the sample

workflow described below is on system interface relevant to academic affairs, information flow

pertaining to MU’s other functional units enumerated in Section 3 should also be reviewed,

analyzed and eventually integrated in the ERP.

2.2. An ERP System that will have the following features:

2.2.1. One-entry portal: Single log-in interface to each constituents of MU that will allow them

to access records and services relevant to their respective position/s and interest/s in

the university. This single log-in interface is envisioned to serve as the main gateway

that will integrate existing interfaces such as MyZou, Blackboard, CSO (Career Service

Office) and MyHR, among others.

2.2.2. Integrated and Reliable Database: A reliable system that (a) taps a unified/integrated

database, and (b) ensures data back-ups

2.2.3. Compartmentalized information: A system that maintains access check-points that allow

internal users to engage only certain aspects of the system which are relevant to their

status, position and role in the organization. It should be a secured interface that is able

to (a) maintain privileged information within academic units, (b) protect proprietary

data and resources such as video recordings of faculty lectures, and (c) ensure

compliance with FERPA and other relevant laws.

2.2.4. Well-managed external and internal interface: A user-friendly system that facilitates the

flow of information between all business functions within the organizational boundaries

of the university but also allow connections to outside stakeholders such as donors,

potential employees, potential students, parents, alumni and recruiters/employers who

should be able to access certain information pertinent to their interest in the university

without compromising the security features of the entire system.

III. Business Units/ Functions incorporated in ERP:

While this Request for Proposals provides a sample demonstration for the Academic Affairs Unit, the

University of Missouri requires that the following functions and units need to be incorporated in the

new ERP System:

3.1. Academic Affairs: programs and activities geared towards its mission to promote quality and

access to the university’s academic programs benefiting its diverse student body and enhancing

the excellence of its faculty members.

3.2. Finance and Administration: financial planning and management of university investments and

university debt as well as internal auditing, accounting and budgeting.

3.3. General Counsel: provision of all legal representation for the board of curators; the public

corporation known as The Curators of the University of Missouri; all administrators of the

University of Missouri System and each of its campuses; University of Missouri Extension; and

University of Missouri Health System.

3.4. Government Relations: overseeing of relations among local, state and federal government and

the University of Missouri System, provision of information to the president and his general

officers regarding legislative initiatives, and assistance in developing federal and state

legislative priorities

3.5. Human Resources: recruitment and retention of a highly productive faculty and staff,

performance management and leadership, labor relations and human resource information

systems.

3.6. Information Technology: planning and implementation of IT resources and management of

information across the University including but not limited to (a) voice, video and data

networks Offices; (b) Desktop technology – hardware, software and training students, faculty

and staff (c) application, database, and network servers and storage (d) Production operations,

and business continuity and disaster recovery processes, (e) Large software applications (f) E-

mail, library, electronic journals and databases, and enterprise-wide administrative systems

(student, finance and accounting, human resources, alumni development), (g) Technology-

dependent research and instructional applications and (h) Coordination of shared services

initiatives.

3.7. Research and Economic Development: intellectual property administration, research parks and

incubators, and management of various strategic programs

3.8. Strategic Communication: marketing and communication strategies that aim to increase

awareness of, and support for, the university’s unique role as the state’s public research

university

IV. Sample: Required information for the ERP System Process for the

Academic Affairs Unit

While the ultimate goal is to integrate all units and functions described above, this request for proposal

should focus on making the University’s ERP system an efficient, one-entry portal that facilitates quality

and state-of-the art learning environment. As such, it MUST have the following:

4.1. A database of student applicants, which will serve as the baseline data for current students,

including but not limited to Transcript of Records, permanent address, career goals, personal

statement, and resume.

4.2. Tracking capabilities that allow Admission Officers to easily and more efficiently manage

student application/s, monitor submission of required documents and track previous

applications if any.

4.3. A sub-database of current students that is automatically created once the student gets

admitted and enrolled to a program. Relevant information such as (a) student profile (includes

but is not limited to student ID, local address, telephone number), (b) program of study and

emphasis area/s, (c) expected graduation dates, (d) grades, (e) student activities (both

academic and extra-curricular), and (f) financial activities should be carefully

compartmentalized to ensure that only appropriate individuals are able to update and view

certain information. For instance, only the Cashier’s Office should have the capability to update

certain field in the student financial records and only the student can view his or her own

financial record.

4.4. An interface similar to current Blackboard that is integrated in the ERP drawing relevant

information from the student database in 4.1.3 above but at the same time serving as a portal

that will:

4.4.1. Allow faculty members to (a) upload syllabus, course materials and other pertinent

documents, (b) migrate enrolled student into their class roster and (c) upload grades

into student records;

4.4.2. Enable students to track the requirements of classes they are enrolled in or student

organizations that they are a member of. This should include sections on current course

list and announcements, assignments and other instructions in each respective courses.

4.5. An Advising Interface that allow academic advisor/s to access and update student information

such as progress in the program as well as input relevant notes into a student record that could

include correspondence with the students, revisions in the student’s program of study, and

notes on courses waived.

4.6. A Career Service Office interface that will

4.6.1. Allow students to (a) upload an updated resume while keeping an archive of old ones,

(b) monitor and apply to full time jobs and internships they qualify for, (c) schedule

appointments with a career specialist, request for an on-campus interview, (e) sign-up

for career events or workshops, and (f)report all information related to internship and

full time job placements including but not limited to name of employer, salary, position,

and general description of responsibilities

4.6.2. Allow career specialist and administrators to

4.6.2.1. Maintain and update a sub-database of (a) recruiters and their contact

information, jobs posted, schedules of on-campus recruiting activities; (b)

career events and workshops;

4.6.2.2. Access relevant information from the database of current students, track

student participation in career related activities and review student’s career

related documents such as resumes, transcript and cover letter;

4.6.2.3. Review and approve employer registration, job postings and request for

certain career events and information sessions;

4.6.2.4. Identify MU alumni from the database of recruiters

4.6.2.5. Refer students to recruiters when needed; and

4.6.2.6. Post their availability for career advising session/s and approve student’s

request for consultation

4.6.3. Allow employers and recruiters to:

4.6.3.1. Register to the site as an employer and

4.6.3.2. Make changes to certain aspects of their profile without compromising the

security of the ERP and

4.6.3.3. Post and update jobs

4.6.3.4. Request for career events and confirm attendance to events set-up by the

career services office

In addition to the above requirements, the following features can also be included in the design of the

ERP under this Request for Proposal. While these are desirable, these items are NOT REQUIRED:

Automatic Integration of external job postings from job sites such as Monster.com,

Internship.com; Linked-in to the Career Services interface of the ERP

Social Media capability that will allow all internal users of the to have the option to

disseminate announcements in social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter

Information on past placement of Alumni to determine the main recruiters of students

of University of Missouri.`

V. Envisioned Workflow at Academic Affairs:

The main purpose of the ERP system is to integrate all information from different systems/ portals into

only one unified, centralized system. With the new system, users will be able to access relevant

information and interface with the ERP via a single entry point and tap an integrated database of

relevant information described in Section IV above. The following describes the envisioned workflow of

the ERP at the Academic Affairs unit, which can serve as a guide in designing how the ERP would satisfy

MU’s academic processes:

5.1. At the time of application: When a student applies to any program of the University of Missouri,

an entry will be created for that student giving the student a unique ID that will allow tracking of

applicants who were admitted into a program as well as those that were declined. This will

allow relevant users to track subsequent activities of the student (example, re-apply to a

program after having been decline or shift to other program of study). This will also allow the

Admission Office to track the status of the application, including but not limited to the

completion stage of the online forms, application materials received and to be received, and

required official test scores such as SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT and LSAT sent by the Testing Center.

The system should also be able to allow students to access their online application account to

keep track of the progress of their application. Because the initial application already creates a

unique identifier for the applicant, the system should also be able to notify the Admission

Officer of details of previous application to MU (e.g., reason/s behind previous rejection).

Once all materials needed are received, the Admission Officer/s will start the reviewing process

at the University level and departmental level. Students can check on the online application

system and monitor the status of their application from “Received”, “Completed”, “Being

reviewed”, “Declined” or “Accepted”.

For those who are accepted by the University and decided to enroll, the status of “Current

Student” will be designated to the student account. These students and other responsible

University’s officers and faculty members can now access the students’ records and make

necessary changes as demonstrated below.

The accounts/records of those who are denied or who decide not to enroll to the University of

Missouri will be archived for later retrieval if these students decide to reapply in the future.

5.2. After enrollment to the program:

5.2.1. Students profile management: Once students enroll to the program, they will

be able to update certain aspects of their profile using their log-in information. Any

update to a student account will automatically update all other aspects of the ERP

related to the changes made. For instance, a change in Address in MyZou will

automatically update records in other interface such as the Career Service Office –

reentry is no longer required). Other possible updates could include emergency

notification, and updated resume.

Through the ERP system, students should be able to access information related to their

tuition fees, students’ loans, financial aids, scholarships, fellowships, etc. If they want,

they can also grant permission to their parents or significant others to access these

information. For instance, if a scholarship or fellowship is granted to a specific student,

the Cashier Office will input the necessary information into the student’s financial

records allowing the student to keep track of the magnitude, term structure source of

the award and other related information. On the other hand, if the student fails to make

payment, the Cashier’s Office will make the necessary entries that will notify the student

as well as the Registrar’s Office to put a hold on activities that will involve additional

charges (e.g., enrollment) or completion/accomplishment of certain academic activities

(e.g., graduation).

Any update in certain aspects of the student’s profile will naturally affect other

segments of the ERP such as MyHR if a student has campus employment.

5.2.2. Academic Activities: When students register for a course, the system will make

a record and notify both students and instructors upon successful registration. Students

and instructors can then interact with each other about syllabus, course documents,

assignments, grades, online discussions, etc. Students can keep track with their progress

in the program and in a specific course. They can also ask their instructors for a letter of

recommendation for job applications when needed. When student does so, instructors

can pull out the information about that student, including academic and extra-curricular

activities, to have a better understanding about the student.

5.2.3. Advising: When students contact their academic advisors for course registration

or for any other academic-related activities, advisors should be able to access

information on students’ academic activities and students’ profile since the time of

application. These new information also include the information on students’ internship,

participation in professional development programs, mentoring programs, study-abroad

program, etc. The ERP system should allow advisors to store and keep records of all

correspondence and advising information between them and the students for future

reference.

5.2.4. Career Services: When recruiters want to post a job opening online, they can

submit a request to the Career Services. A Career Specialist will review and

approve/reject job posting. Once the job posting is approved by the Career Services

Office, students will be able to use their updated information previously stored in their

master profile to apply for the job. If they apply for a job, a record will be created,

allowing students, recruiter and career specialist to keep track of the application

process. Students can also make an appointment with Career Specialists if needed.

Career Specialist will be notified, access students’ profile and academic information for

reference, and retrieve past activities and correspondence with Career Services Center

in order to provide the best service to students. After each interaction, a record will be

stored for future retrieval.

VI. Basic Responsibilities of the vendors

By submitting a proposal, the vendor agrees to:

6.1. Provide the equipment and services relevant to and/or specified in the RFP in accordance with

prices and schedule/timeline agreed upon during the negotiation process and contract

perfection phase

6.2. Ensure that the contract is genuine based on existing technologies and practices that will allow

the project to adhere to contract deadlines and specifications

6.3. Ensure that it is the primary agent and will be liable to any problems, set-backs and possible

failure any or all aspects of the project

6.4. Provide necessary training for the staff of University of Missouri to effectively run the system

6.5. Provide reasonable system maintenance for the ERP

VII. Basic Responsibilities of University of Missouri

By accepting the proposal, the University of Missouri assumes the responsibilities to:

7.1. Contract only one vendor for the entire ERP project

7.2. Provide the necessary information to the vendor so that the vendor understand the

organization structure and information flow to design the ERP system

7.3. Use the ERP system as instructed by the vendor and only for the purpose specified by the

agreed contract

7.4. Form a special team to lead and test the program as well as to coordinate with vendor during

the implementation process

7.5. Provide the facility for any necessary training

7.6. Make payment on time as specified in the contract

7.7. Provide basic information technology infrastructure as specified in the contract

VIII. Vendor Selection criteria

General criteria will be evaluated based on written response to the Request for Proposal, presentations

of plan of action and response to request for clarifications on various aspects of the vendors proposals.

The vendor shall also be evaluated on the following criteria:

8.1. Mandatory vendor requirements:

8.1.1. Clarity and applicability of approach and overall ability to meet the requirements of the

Request for Proposal

8.1.2. Industry Experience and list of similar contracts/projects with other Universities

8.1.3. Price

8.1.4. Company Capitalization, financial stability and assurance of continued business as an

information and technology company

8.2. Desirable characteristics of a vendor includes

8.2.1. Previous projects, contracts and connections with the University of Missouri-Columbia

(example: alumni)

8.2.2. Ability to provide and define future engagements on various aspects of the project

The University of Missouri reserves the right to contact vendor’s previous clients for references.

Additionally, because of the scope of the project, all else equal, priority will be given to vendor in

Columbia and nearby area, including Saint-Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.

IX. Special instructions to legal counsel

The University of Missouri requests that its legal counsel assists in the drafting of and finalization of this

Request for Proposal as well as (a) become part of the team who represent MU in negotiating with the

vendor and (b) finalize the contract. In view of this, the legal counsel acknowledges that:

9.1. The University of Missouri reserves the right to :

9.1.1. Choose the vendor at the discretion of the University of Missouri

9.1.2. Discuss any appropriate changes in the system with the vendor

9.1.3. Investigate the vendor if the University feels that such action is needed to clarify the

credibility of the vendor

9.1.4. Either continue to work with the vendor or contract another vendor if the

contracted vendor fail to provide the required services on time

9.2. The University of Missouri will also not be held responsible for:

9.1.1. Any miscalculation for the cost of the system design as specified in the final contract

even if the miscalculation has an adverse effect on the vendor.

9.1.2. Any misrepresentation of the vendor in the contract’s terms of reference

The University of Missouri contract for the services provided by the ERP system, not for the ERP system

itself. It is therefore, responsibility of the vendor to ensure that the system will be up and running and

users are trained before final payment and release from their obligation to provide a functioning

product. Any additional costs not specified in the contract will be shouldered by the vendor. Terms of

Reference for the vendor’s continuous engagement to allow for future troubleshooting shall be

negotiated during the contract perfection stage.

X. References

Website of University of Missouri http://www.missouri.edu/about/index.php

Overview of University of Missouri System Organization, June 2011,

https://uminfopoint.umsystem.edu/media/about/overview.pdf

University of Missouri System - Organizational Structure,

http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/about/organization/

Blackboard http://bblearn.missouri.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp (log-in required)

MyInterface https://www.myinterfase.com/umcolumbia/admin/ (log-in required)

Myzou https://myzou.missouri.edu/psp/prd/?cmd=login&errorPg=ckreq&languageCd=ENG (log-in

required)